Sciatica Steroid Injection

A sciatica steroid injection is one of the most common types of
epidural injection
used for back and leg pain conditions, as well as many other dorsopathy complaints.

This type of injection is typically called a cortisone injection by laymen. Steroids have long been a part of medical
back pain
therapy, both in oral and injectable forms.

Steroids are used
primarily as a means of reducing inflammation and are combined with
other substances to elicit pain relief and flushing of potentially pain
inducing substances in the body.

This article will provide some
facts about the potential benefits and risks of cortisone injections and
other forms of steroid therapy.

What is a Sciatica Steroid Injection?

Epidural cortisone injections for
sciatica
are a very common moderate treatment option which is actually a minor
form of surgery.

In this procedure, a needle is placed into the epidural
compartment which surrounds the spine and one or more substances are
injected to relieve pain.

In the case of steroid injections, the most commonly used substances include some form of cortisteroid including: methylprednisolone acetate, triamcinolone acetonide, kenalog, celestone and dexamethasone, but others are generally available.

Sciatica Steroid Injection Facts

Steroids are used to fight inflammation and speed healing. For
injuries, this treatment may be a good idea, but for most back pain
scenarios, I always ask, where is the inflammation?

As Dr. Sarno
has pointed out time and time again, there is rarely evidence of any
inflammatory process in the majority of chronic pain complaints.

Even
in cases where inflammation exists, steroids are not a very good option,
since they are often completely ineffectual or only provide short term
benefits, sometimes only due to the placebo effect.

Steroids might be better indicated for chemical radiculitis
cases, but even this diagnosis is highly controversial.

Personally, I
feel the majority of benefit derived from steroid epidurals comes from
the local anesthetic, such as Lidocaine, which is typically a part of the pharmaceutical cocktail.

Sciatica Steroid Injection Assistance

Epidural steroid injections can only function as
symptomatic treatment
and will not cure anything. The only exception to this rule is when
chemical radiculitis does actually source the pain and is effectively
washed away by the procedure, although this probably could be
accomplished with saline alone.

There are risks which are often
described by care providers as rare, but my experience tells me
otherwise. Many patients endure one or more complications from their
epidurals including, spinal fluid leak, escalation of
sciatica symptoms
and nerve injury.

Far more common is the possibility that the
injection does no good at all, or more likely, that complete or partial
relief is provided for only a few days and then the pain returns full
force. Some patients are lucky and have good results for a few weeks to
a few months.

The likelihood of suffering complications is
definitely reduced by getting injected by an experienced surgeon, who
uses fluoroscopy, not by a general doctor, orthopedist or neurologist.